Father Of Time
by ViridescentCrow
Summary: You never knew your father, at least, not until now. You remember wishing to meet him as a kid, wishing he'd come and make your life better- But never did you imagine him using a big pink limo to take you away- and you never expected to be whisked away to join the True Cross Academy Cram School For Training Exorcists! ReaderxVarious (With inevitable MephistoxReader)
1. C1: Cometh the Man, Cometh the Hour

"_I'm your WHAT?_" you gasped in disbelief, your fingers just barely gripping the door as you gaped at the white suited man before you.

"My daughter."

"And who are you again?"

"Johann Faust the fifth..Otherwise known as _Mephisto Pheles_"

* * *

_One month ago:_

_"Can this truly be...? Oh what a delightful turn of events!" Mephisto exclaimed, his coruscant emerald eyes full of excitement._

_"She did die, didn't she? Was there a problem in gaining her soul?" Amaimon asked, unwrapping a piece of candy and popping it into his mouth as he glanced calmly at his brother._

_"No, I got her soul. But it seems I've gained a little more than that." a smirk turned up his face as his eyes lowered with interest._

_"What do you mean, Brother?"_

_"The girl seen at her funeral and around her prior to her death, do you remember her?"_

_Amaimon thought for a moment before he nodded. He remembered her but he didn't really see anything special about her."What about her?"_

_"She wasn't just a regular human daughter of the woman's."_

_"What is she then?" Amaimon asked, fiddling with the candy wrapper in his clawed fingers out of boredom._

_It took a moment for Mephisto to bring the words to his lips, the overwhelming interest he was experiencing making him giggle with glee. "My daughter!"_

_"Daughter?" Amaimon stopped playing with the candy wrapper, glancing up at his brother, slightly shocked by his words. "That must mean you and that woman-"_

_Mephisto nodded giddily and his smile grew as he spoke, "Many years ago- It hardly mattered back then. But she never told me anything had come of the little rendezvous... Not that I ever saw her again after it, I always assumed with her nature that it belonged to some other man. Nonetheless this has been a pleasant surprise and a most fascinating transpiration~!" the smirk grew and another wave of giggles overcame the white suited demon._

_"What are you going to do then? The girl is almost an adult now and half demon."_

_"She hasn't shown any signs of inheriting any of my demonic powers but they could still be dormant. Typically in a situation such as this one I would kill the child..Yet I long to see how this shall turn out..."_

_"You'll have to do something about her. If anyone finds out about the girl many of the others back home-"_

_"Indeed I know, Amaimon, I know. To waste such an opportunity would be brash and tactless. It truly is a matter of life and death, after all, and one cannot rush such decisions- It would be such a disappointment to make a reckless choice and loose all the fun in this sudden situation." Mephisto sighed contently, leaning back in his seat in wonder, his eyes locked on the photo once again. How elating! This truly was a rare occurrence! One did not obtain a new member of the family every day and killing a chance at an interesting story so young would be a loss of a formidable adventure._

_"Are you going to tell father?" Amaimon asked, his teal eyes glossed with curiosity. Why had his brother been made so gleeful at the thought of a daughter? She didn't even seem remotely interesting to him...But Amaimon was never one to completely understand Mephisto._

_The sharp look Mephisto cast Amaimons way was clear enough and as they met gazes, his point was driven home; "I think this is a secret best kept between the two of us, at least for now, dear brother. Anyone else stepping in would spoil the fun."_

* * *

**Chapter 1: "Cometh the hour, Cometh the man"**

'_Tap._

_Tap._

_Tap..._

_Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap-_'

"For crying out loud, will you quit that stupid tapping?!"

_Silence._

"Thank you..."

A sigh of relief is released, shoulders descending quickly from the peaks of frustration. Birds chirp distantly, their songs festooned in the clear blue sky outside the cram school's windows. It would be a perfect day to spend outside with friends, picnics, walks- all things regular students were already outside doing- but as for these particular cram students, they could only dream of such.

Tensed from the lack of noise, the exwires waited impatiently in the silent room, tense from anticipation. They were not to make a noise in the absence of their instructor, less they be forced to sit with Bariyon's on their laps for an entire Saturday- and none of them were taking any chances.

….

'_Tap_'

"_Are you serious?_" a yell erupted, echoing in the room.

* * *

"My, my. This has certainly caught me at the worst of times, as you can imagine- I'm a very busy man- but I must say I am greatly looking forward to our newest journey together." Mephisto sighed contently, crossing his legs smoothly as he poured himself a cup of tea and snacked on a lady finger.

You could have sworn his posture and attitude radiated an anxiousness- but his cool and calm face that was laced with that signature smirk told you otherwise. This wasn't a man who fidgeted or as caught off guard by things such as this.

'This man' happened to be Mephisto Pheles- or 'Johann Faust the fifth' as he more commonly went by in the world of Assiah- and he was the oddest man you had ever lain eyes on. The composed ring master of True Cross Academy and owner of True Cross Town had swiftly appeared in your life so suddenly as of recently that you constantly wondered if you were being pranked...But no. This man had appeared out of thin air and welcomed himself into your very small and humble life uninvited and was now whisking you far away from the aforementioned life into a brand new, slightly more extravagant one. Not that you had any real arguments- or that anyone cared about your protests- seeing as he was your biological father. Those who had been taking care of you since your mother died simply gave him an odd look, noticed his high society standing, and promptly sent you off with the man.

But had anyone asked you how you felt about this?

_NO_! Not one damned person had asked you if you agreed with this situation! Your opinions had been chucked out the window the moment he flashed a portion of his paycheck. Most claimed it was 'a better life' he could provide for you and that it was 'the best thing to happen to you' since your mothers death- but who were they to judge your life?!

Not to mention that this man had only come in your life iafter/i your mother was gone! There had been no visits, no phone calls, no letters, no gifts and certainly no mention of this man before! In all of your years he had made no attempt to contact you and whenever you asked your mother she would avoid the subject. You had assumed your father was a deadbeat- but clearly this man was no deadbeat. Besides, if he was so rich, why bother with you anyways? Never having known about him or he knowing about you, why bother to make a move now?

You shifted your gaze back to the window, eyes glossed with crankiness. The more you thought about the situation the more it made you bitter. The passing mysterious city provided little comfort for you but it was better company than with the white suited clown sitting across from you...

"This must be exciting for you as well, (Name)! A whole new life opened up to you so suddenly!" he cheered and turned to you as if he was expecting an answer.

"Who said I wanted a 'whole new life'?" you seethed, not bothering to give any further explanation.

"Ah, I see its still a sore spot for you. That's unfortunate, but over time I'm sure you'll see it the way I do~! Given the circumstances however, it is understandable. Anger is one of the stages of depression, after all. And change is a big, scary thing to face isn't it?" he cooed slightly but you refused to look at him.

How dare he mock you like that! Stupid clown! He should know his place and when not to say such idiotic things! Daring a glance at the annoyance known as Mephisto, you shifted your glare only slightly to find he'd continued talking when you hadn't answered- and he was already in mid sentence when you started listening again.

"...Thus I am the only one who can take care of you now. You're much too young to go off by yourself and seeing as other relatives are out of the question, this is the only chance you have at a respectable life. You never had much back there anyhow."

'_Who the hell does he think he is?! Making a judgment like that so carelessly! He must have a lot of nerve to say that to my face!_'

His words earned him a scuff from you, but you didn't let him catch you looking at him and instead grumbled your response at the window.

"And I suppose this is you 'saving my life'? How very knightly of you! Taking me away from everything I've known and forcing me into a world I want nothing to do with- wow, you've got to be nominated for an award! Is 'Father of the year' good enough? Or is that not a big enough to suit your ego?" you growled, casting a sideways glare at your newly discovered father- who was laughing at you now.

"You really are something, aren't you? How delightful!" he laughed a bit longer before wiping his eyes and sighing, "Ohhh dear (Name), this is really beginning to prove an entertaining start! As I'm sure you're aware, however, I am a very busy man. I don't have the time to dote on you like a regular human father would- I have businesses to take care of, a school to run and-"

"Mephisto's Empire at its finest.." you scuffed and he simply cast you a bigger smirk.

"Oh, my...This attitude of yours is surely a riveting characteristic~! More over, I must address it early on, so I'm afraid I cannot tolerate it! I understand your anger associated with the situation- but need I remind you that I am not the one to take that out on~?" he set his empty tea cup down and cast a look of delectation adorned with a hint of vexation, "You're just as much of a surprise to me as I am to you and I suggest you direct your anger to another outlet, _dearest_, otherwise this transition going to be most difficult for you."

You said nothing in return- which Mephisto grinned smugly triumphantly at - and turned your full attention to your 'father' once more, studying him. This was the man your mother had fallen for? What the hell did she see in him? His ridiculously flamboyant outfit definitely ensured to scare away any woman within twenty countries, but yet, here you were. The product of your human mother and the Demon King of Time himself.

"Ah, another thing, (Name)..." he ceased from raising another lady finger to his lips and simpered down at you. "No one can know you are my child, to anyone else, you're an exchange student whom I've taken under my wing and generously brought you to True Cross Academy. Tell whatever story you like, but the fact remains that no one can know. If I hear that the words have fallen from you lips there will be consequences, my dear~"

"But of course. The daughter of Mephisto can't go around screaming her heritage at the top of her lungs..." you sighed, slightly gnawing on the inside of your cheek in thought. Did your mother even know who Mephisto was? She never spoke of him and when you used to ask she'd promise to tell you when you were older- but a demon? Had she known what she was getting into with this man at all?

You dared a glance at him and found him enjoying his treats, eyes closed as if he savored the taste and flavor pouring over his taste buds. He'd offered you some with your tea, which you glanced at now, as it sat waiting for you.

Well, you weren't sure what you'd gotten from his genes, but you did love tea- if that could be counted as an inherited trait. Your mother never enjoyed it as much as you had and upon receiving the cup of warm leaf water once you got in the limo, you'd devoured it quickly. There was no shame in the action, it had been months since you'd had tea. You hadn't had much of an appetite however, so the sweets and lady fingers remained untouched. For a moment you were almost happy, but then he'd opened his big mouth and ruined it by commenting on your appetite for the beverage.

Speaking of Mephisto... Said 'Demon Father' set the empty wrapper down a moment later and opened one eyelid to peer back at you with his shimmering green iris'. His lips curled into a bigger smile at the sight of your flush cheeks as you turned your eyes away from him. He shifted forward further and continued to stare at you, his eyes burning holes in your face.

"Perfect~! You understand then. For once, we're on the same page. Maybe this father daughter relationship won't be so difficult after all~?"

You could have swore he winked but considering you weren't looking at him it was hard to tell. It still upset you, though and your anger bubbled up. How stupid could he be? Saying such things as if it were going to be a walk in the park!

"Piss off!" you hissed and cast a torrid glare his way, your teeth grinding in frustration.

"Ah, well...Baby steps. 'Rome was not built in a day', hm?" he sighed and leaned back, glancing out at the passing city as well, whistling as he bobbed his head side to side.

His sharp features seemed to become less threatening, dulling down and appearing more human for the breath of a moment, the shadows of the buildings casting an temporal aura on his skin. Almost as if he felt your guard being brought down to admire him, his whistling stopped and he threw a growing grin at you knowingly, peering from behind his purple locks.

"Captivated by my appearance?" he purred playfully and you squinted your eyes to a glare and frowned, turning away quickly.

"None of your damned business!"

"On the contrary, dearest! You were looking at me so it is very much my business." he turned to you and shifted his legs once more, his posture radiating a confidence you didn't like one bit.

"I was just wondering why you would make me join your stupid exorcist school or why you would even bother to have a school like that in the first place. You're not exactly a human, now are you?" you growled and watched as his face shifted from cheeky to amused, his sharp teeth showing the slightest bit from behind his thin pink lips.

"It is interesting, isn't it? But pressing for answers causes you to miss the experience to be gained by venturing forth for them! I will say that many things can happen to you at times you would never expect and to be fully prepared, you'll need to learn it thoroughly and know the extent of what you could have at the snap of your fingers." Mephisto reminded haughtily, glancing down at you with dropping, amused eyes.

Facial features twisted with disgust you clenched your fists in your lap. You knew what he was getting at and you didn't like his accusations on bit!

"I already told you, I'm no demon. Kinship or not- I haven't been tainted by your heritage or 'blessed' with gifts of darkness." you threw back in his face and sharply turned back to the window, your eyes finally open to the whole different world that was known as 'True Cross Town'.

This was going to be one hell of an experience.

* * *

"Sir Pheles, welcome back."

"Thank you,Yukio." Mephisto gave a small smile and cast a glance toward you as he stepped out of the limo, extending a hand to help you out.

You appeased the thought of taking his hand and putting on a show for this Yukio guy but decided not to. He didn't deserve your cooperation and he most definitely didn't deserve your manners in front of others.

Brushing past Mephisto, you looked at Yukio, studying the brown haired, blue eyed man with glasses for a minute. He gave a nod and a smile in return to your stare and it was everything you had to not burst into a blush right then and there.

Face nearly flushed with embarrassment, you quickly turned to True Cross Academy with a hard look in your eyes. It almost made you sick. Looking at this grossly rich school and its ornate designs. It was massive and in all its glory as the proteges of wealthy companies piled into its grasp.

"Yukio, meet your newest cram student, (First Name) (Last Name). She's an exchange student I've decided to take guardianship over- like you and your brother."

"Ah, Its nice to meet you, Miss (L. Name). I am Yukio Okumura. I look forward to teaching you."

"Teaching me?" you asked, throwing a questioning glance at him. "You don't look older than me.."

"Hah, well you wouldn't be wrong! I'm the youngest exorcist in history and yes, I am a teacher at the True Cross Academy Cram School. Its a pleasure to meet you!" He bowed and you scrambled to bow back, not wanting to be rude. Sure, being rude to Mehpisto was one thing, but this guy seemed genuinely nice...You'd feel bad if you just brushed him off.

Turning back around to Mephisto, you cleared your throat; "Am I allowed to go unpack now?"

* * *

"Don't look at me! I wasn't the one tapping away with that damn pencil!"

"Yes you were, don't even try to hide it!"

Yukio frowned as he heard his class from down the hall, fighting off a flush of embarrassment at the sound. They couldn't listen even if their lives depended on it...And now in front of the newest student!

He prayed for a moment that it wouldn't ruin the impression he'd given off earlier and refused to cast a glance at the young woman. He should be direct and clear and focused- but he couldn't deny he was curious about her...

Mephisto glanced at him with a small smirk and nod, motioning toward the door. "Your classroom awaits, Mr. Okumura~"

With that Yukio sighed and opened the door..


	2. C2: Wound Up

**Chapter two: "Wound Up"**

_What._

_ The hell._

_ Did you get yourself into?_

Eyes opened to the small classroom before you, you watched the sources of the yelling you heard from down the hall fall to silence and slowly turn their attentions toward the door- where a very irritated Yukio stood desperately trying to compose himself.

His shoulders were tense with irritation, his hands clenching into fists. Aggravation rolled off of his skin as he raised one hand to push his glasses up, light bouncing off the clear glass for only a second as his eyes locked on his students. "Whats the meaning of this?"

The tallest boy, one with dark brown hair and a blonde streak down the center, was the first to speak. He shook himself off the two shorter boys restraining him and glanced at the trio you were a part of curiously before speaking. "Ah, teach'! We were just-"

"I don't want to hear excuses, Bon. What did Rin do?" Yukio interrupted, sighing quietly. He regained his regular composed posture, but you had noted the rising anger enough to know making him angry was not something you wanted to do. Who knew what could have happened...That tiny flash you'd witnessed was frightening!

"What? Hey, why do ya' assume I did something!" the other boy being held back asked, unceremoniously yanking himself out of the hold on him and turning toward Yukio with a spin of fury. His ice cold glare flared up behind his sapphire eyes, his dark raven hair swaying in the wind of his movements. He began to yell, but stopped as his eyes landed on you,"I didn't do a- Oh, who's that?"

"Don't change the subject! We heard you fighting from down the hall.." Yukio growled, walking over to his desk with a sigh. "Can any of you follow through and do what you're told at least once?"

"Sorry Mr. Okumura..." the boy called Bon sighed and walked back to a seat, sitting beside two other boys- who were studying you.

The first was a boy with salmon colored hair, a dreamy look flooding his facial features. The second was a more reserved boy with red glasses and shaven gray hair, but he only glanced at you with a curiousness.

The dark haired boy- Rin, you thought- followed the same seat as Bon as Yukio demanded he sit down.

The thought about turning and leaving crossed your mind more than once in the few short moments you'd been inside the classroom but Mephisto was standing in the doorway blocking the exit.

Damn. There went that plan.

Cursing inwardly you forced your self to turn back around and face Yukio just as he had gestured toward you. A sigh passed your lips but you went to the front of the room anyways and glanced at the small group of students in the class. None of them were too exciting... There was an odd kid in the back with a puppet but you hardly considered that exciting- more odd than anything else.

"Now then..." Yukio took a breath and turned to you with a gentle smile. "What do you think, Miss ( )? Should we just let them off with a warning this time?"

"Uh...Sure." Why the hell was he asking you?! You just got here! It's not like you knew what the punishment was...But you still didn't want to be a part of it!

"Good choice. Everyone, this is our newest cram student attending- (F. Name) (L. Name). She'll be attending classes with us from now on." Yukio smiled and turned to you, "Go ahead and pick a seat."

With a nod you walked off to an empty table off to the side, taking your seat.

Actually, you'd assumed the class would be much larger...But six, seven people? Wasn't that terribly small? What about the exorcists of the future? Who would take the places of the ones that were dying by the minute...?

Was this world diminishing that quickly?

A feeling on unease settled down into your bones, stitching under your skin. It bubbled down into your stomach and you fidgeted in your seat. Such a small class for such a big world..No wonder Mephisto wanted you to join- there was hardly anyone here to take the places of the fleeting numbers of exorcists! Could it be because of the worlds disbelief in demons? Or their willingness to turn their attentions away from the unknown? You couldn't help but ponder the possibilities while Yukio babbled about at the front of the class..In all honesty, you should have been paying attention but you couldn't help it! This class was so tiny- it made you wonder...

"Hey there~" a voice called and you snapped out of your wandering trance, turning to see the owner of the voice.

It was that salmon haired boy near that 'Bon' from earlier, standing beside your desk and grinning down at you confidently.

"Oh, yes?" you blinked up, a little lost. A quick glance around told you the class was over and most of the students were packing up for the day.

You'd spaced out for the whole class.

The whole class.

You lazy bum.

You scrambled to get your things together, stuffing your notebooks and pencils into your school bag as the pink haired boy talked, his voice smooth and cheerful. You listened to him as he spoke, slightly enjoying the sound of his voice. It wasn't that bad, actually, it had a nice tone to it. So smooth and comforting. And his brown eyes and the way they shone with an admiration for the world, as if he was truly seeing the beauty in everything. It was quite admirable- not that you'd tell him such, though. You did just meet him and all...Actually, you hadn't even met him! Or did you?

You couldn't remember.

"I was wondering, since you're new here, if you knew your way around? If not, you could always come with us and we could show you around~" the boy beamed, offering you a hand as you stood, "Or if you do, you could come hang out with us just cause'!"

You glanced at his friends waiting by the door, the boy with the raven hair- Rin, you remembered-, the tall tanned one called 'Bon' and the shorter one with shaved gray hair...You don't think you got his name- or this guys name either..

"Uh...I don't know who you are.." you pointed out and the boy laughed.

"Ah, how stupid of me! I'm Renzo Shima! Enchanted to meet you~"

You took his hand and shook it, giving a small smile in return. "Its nice to meet you as well. I'm (Name) ( )."

"So are you gonna' hang out with us?"

"Uh...Sure!" you nodded and Renzo cheered, walking over to the others and beckoning you along.

"Check it out guys, I got the new girl to chill with us!"

"Ah, awesome! I'm Rin Okumura!" the raven haired boy beamed, grinning happily as you gave a weary smile back, "And this is Konekomaru Miwa.."

The short, gray haired boy he had put his arm around looked like he was going to argue against Rin's introduction, but let it go and bowed his head towards you. "Nice to meet you!"

"You too!"

"And this is 'Bon'-"

"I can introduce myself!" Bon snapped at Rin, glowering at the black haired boy, who threw his hands up in defense and shrugged, "I'm Ryuji Suguro, it's a pleasure to meet you."

The tall tanned boy bowed and you nodded back, noticing now that he had tons of piercings in his ears. With that dyed hair and those piercings- and don't even forget about that fighting attitude with Rin- you'd immediately noted him as a rebel type but such didn't seem to fit very well right now...He was so polite and nice.

"Ah, nice to meet you all! I'm (Name)! But, if I may ask, if your name is Ryuji, why do they call you Bon?"

"Ah, its," Ryuji's face flushed with the hints of a blush on his cheeks, "A nickname, is all."

"Ahahah, we've called him that since he we were little!" Renzo chuckled, leaning toward Ryuji in a teasing mannor, "But I guess you could say he is our little 'Bonbon'~"

"Knock it off, Shima!"

"Oh, but aren't you a bonbon? Frozen on the outside and always so elegantly serious?" Shima teased further and you stiffled a giggle- Ryuji was getting so flustered.

"Shut up! That's not why you call me that!"

"You guys are still in the class room, you know..." Yukio sighed, speaking suddenly from behind Ryuji.

Ryuji lowered his voice and the anger washed from his face. "Ah, sorry, teach."

"Whatda need, Yukio? Come to hang out with your big bro?" Rin laughed and you raised an eyebrow.

"You're only older by a few seconds- don't think of it as a head start- and no, you're just in the way of the door."

"Big bro?" you asked, glancing from Rin to Yukio.

"Oh, Rin and Yukio are fraternal twins. Rin's the first born." Konekomaru clarified and your eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? Wow, I would have thought Yukio was older! I mean, he is teaching and he seems much more mature.."

"Hey! That's rude!" Rin objected but his anger was only met by laughs as the group you had joined wandered out of the classroom.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all...

* * *

"Finally.." you sighed and flopped onto your bed. It had taken you a while, but you'd finally unpacked and moved into your permanent quarters- a section off the girls dorm that was closer to the cram school. You'd spent a little time in class picking up the students names and studying but it wasn't all that difficult...It was just like school work but more demon related.

You closed your eyes and sighed again, taking a deep breath. This certainly wasn't where you expected to be a week ago..A week ago you would have thought you'd have a job by now! Hell, you would have never given your 'father' a second thought if it hadn't been for that doofus!

Who did that anyways? Showing up in the middle of someones life just to come and change it. Drastically, you might add, considering you had to leave your home and the people you cared about.

What kind of life would you lead now? Would becoming an exorcist really be what you'd do? You barely knew a thing about it! Sure, you could see demons, but if one attacked you you would know what to do! You hadn't studied as long as the other kids in the class had and you didn't have their drive for it...

So what business did you have in that damn school?

The looming dread of the situation hung above your head and for a minute, you felt the crushing tension you'd avoided lock your limbs. You wanted to stop moving, wanted to just sink into the earth below you and forget about everything...you wanted to sleep and dream of nothing more than the happiest memories you had...

As your lungs drowned with the heavy air of sadness, your eyes burning with the brink of tears, you tried to compose yourself. The day wasn't over yet and you'd been told by Yukio that Mephisto had requested to see you after class...No one needed to see this, especially not Mephisto. He'd probably try and pull some sarcastic bullshit out of his ass and offer you a hug or something. Whatever! He could take his 'paternal instincts' and go straight to Hell!

Errr. Wait... You weren't sure if Gehenna counted as Hell.

"Same difference..." you muttered to yourself and huffed.

Willing yourself to stand and revert to the mask of irritation, you shoved your feelings to the back of your mind. Never would Mephisto see you upset, never would he know. You couldn't allow it...

Knocking on the door to his personal office, you waited for only a moment, but it was long enough for you to feel the wind in the shadows. The eyes of someone watching, waiting, peeling your skin back layer by layer.

"H-Hello?" you asked, trying to sound stronger than you felt. "If anyone's there, knock it off! This shit isn't funny.." you growled and turned in a circle, slowly scanning the room.

_There._

You could have swore the shadow moved before your eyes, the glistening of eyes shinning beneath the layers of darkness. Whoever it was freaking you out like this was going to pay for it! So help you-

"My, my...(Name), who are you talking to?" Mephisto asked, opening the door and letting the light of his personal office shine in the hallway. The shadow you could have swore was there was gone now, the light showing nothing but an empty wall.

"Nothing..." you muttered and turned back around, casting a glare over your shoulder towards the shadows. "Absolutely nothing..."

"Well then, come in. We must discuss your allowance." He sighed and opened the door a little wider, letting you pass by him.

You didn't see the smirk and amused look he gave to the shadows, however, or the knowing look he tossed back to them before shutting the door.

* * *

**A Month Later:**

You sat by yourself in the sunlight, doodling away on the homework you had finished quite a while ago. It didn't matter much, it was a simple worksheet, but still...

The tiny scene of a seascape brought up bubbles of sadness in your thoughts. The warm air. The wind blowing through your hair as the smell of salt drifted around you. Cold water dancing around your body as you swam in the oceans deep caress. Nothing could compare to the beach in summer...And every year you went with her..

"Hey, (Name)!" someone called from a distance.

Twisting your torso, your eyes scanned the almost empty school yard until you found one of your classmates- and newest friends-, Rin Okumura, approaching you with a small white terrier trailing beside him.

"I wonder what he's doing here..." You muttered to yourself, but waited for him to get to you. "Ah, yes, Rin?"

"Hey! What are you doing all the way out here by yourself?" he asked and glanced around, "Both school's have been over for a while..."

"I like to be by myself..." you mumbled and glanced away from him. "Its easier to do work."

"Whoa, you've got all your homework done already?" Rin asked amazed by your hard work, "I haven't even started mine!"

"Good grades take hard work. To get the best options available to you, you have to work your hardest...Not that you don't." you quickly added seeing his face fall a little. Just as you had begun to think of an apology you realized that you had misunderstood. It wasn't in sadness but awe.

His dark blue eyes had settled onto your paper and scanned the drawing. Embarrassed, you froze, unable to cover it up now. What was so special about it? It was just a doodle...He really didn't need to look so awestruck by it!

"You can draw too? Sweet!" he beamed and sat down next to you. "Do you mind if I take a look?"

"Uh- no...Not at all." you handed him the paper. At least he hadn't caught you with your sketch book...Then you would have been mortified.

"Ohh, the detail is really nice...You're super talented!" Rin complimented and flashed you a big grin.

The white terrier gazed at the paper as well and you could have swore there was a mischievous gleam in the dogs eyes. He reminded you of someone...Those odd eyes and that strange pink bow around its neck.

"Thank you..."

"Haha, no problem. The only real talent I have is cooking! But seeing other peoples talents is nice...Its like a gateway to who they are!"

You wanted to tell him he was wrong, but another thought washed away your argument. Your eyes were drawn to his shirt- and something moving inside it.

"Uh...Don't freak out...But I think you have something in your shirt..." you whispered and Rin looked down to where your eyes were and laughed once he saw it.

"Hahaha! No, don't worry, it's just my tail!" he assured and before you knew it, he lifted up his shirt and a long, black tail with a tuft of fur at the end unraveled from around his torso.

"Errrr...Normal humans don't have...tails." you stated but it was more to yourself rather than to him.

"Oh, uh, yeah...heh...Well, you see...Everyone else in the class kind of already knows- and since you're new and all you haven't really gotten the chance to see me in action!" Rin scratched the back of his head and passed back the paper to you.

"See you in action?" you raised an eyebrow, but the innocence and friendliness on his face was clear- this must have been something he'd honestly forgotten to tell you about.

"I'm, uh, the son of Satan." he gave a nervous chuckle and your eyes widened. "Well, Me and Yukio are, since we're twins. We both have some powers from him, blue fire, pointed ears and teeth- and our tails and claws!" Rin clarified and glanced down at you sheepishly. "But we can't tell anyone outside of the Cram School...Others kind of freak out...Being related to the God of Demons frightens a lot of people- so I understand if you're scared- but I promise you I'm nothing at all like Satan!" he assured, a wave of uncertainty washing in his vast ocean blue eyes.

Sons of Satan?

...Half demons...Your teacher and classmate were half demons- like you.

"Scared?" you asked and Rin nodded as he met your eyes- but his cautiousness soon faded as soon as he saw the intent look in your eye. "Why the hell would I be scared of you? You're still Rin, I've just learned something new about you!"

Yeah, you learned something alright...You learned you weren't the only one with a demon for a parent...But if Mephisto knew about Rin and Yukio- would he let you tell them about your secret? I mean, what harm could it do? They were almost exactly like you- probably stronger because of who their birth father is and having actually inherited powers- but other than that...

"Awesome! Normally everyone is scared- but I'm glad you aren't!"

"..I know what that's like, I've been in a-" you started, but as soon as you begun to speak, the small white dog had yanked the paper out of your lap and was running off with it. "H-Hey! Give that back!"

Both you and Rin immediately stood up and begun sprinting after the dog. Your eyes locked on the tiny being as it dashed out of your reach, your fingers just had barely grazed the ends of its white fur as it evaded your reach.

Rin leaped forward to try and snatch the dog from the ground, but just as he did the dog made a sharp right turn and instead Rin's face smashed into the ground.

Immediately you stopped chasing the dog and went beside Rin, kneeling beside him.

"Oww..." you heard him grumble through the dirt as he picked himself out of the earth and shook his head to rid of the debris.

"Are you okay?" you asked and scanned him over for any injuries. When he gave you that stupid, wide grin again you sighed in relief and returned a small one. "Yeah, I'm fine! Don't worry about me! But where did that dog go? Making off with your homework like that...Damn that Mephisto.."

"Mephisto?" you asked and eyed Rin carefully. You hoped your posture wasn't laced with the concern you felt tumble beneath your skin..But you couldn't fight the chill of realization from making your skin shiver.

The stars were in your favor this time and Rin was clueless to your change of attitude as he nodded and stood. He combed through the school yard with his eyes and searched for the white furred dog. "Mhm, Mephisto's a demon who can turn into a small dog- don't ask me how though..." Rin shrugged and turned back to you. "I'm not sure what interest he'd have with your homework. He's kind of strange like that sometimes." Rin shrugged and you sighed.

"Its fine...I'll just ask him for it back later. Thank you, Rin! I'm sorry you got hurt trying to help.."

"Don't sweat it! I like helping others out! Plus you're my friend so you get top priority on the help list!"

"Friends, huh?" you smiled gently before meeting his eyes, "Well, I'm glad to have you as a friend, Rin! You should head back to the others, though...I have to go get my homework."

"Alright, see you tomorrow, (Name)!" Rin waved and ran back off the way he originally came.

With Rin out of sight, your smile and positive posture fell.

_ Who the fuck did Mephisto think he was, tricking you like that?_ He could have at least told you he could turn into a dog! Not to mention an adorable one...But that wasn't what mattered here! He'd known about Rin and Yukio and hadn't even told you! Not to mention he stole your homework!

You set off sprinting towards his office, forgetting in your fit of anger that you had a key to get in directly. It didn't matter much, though, you could blame him further for making you run!

'Stupid Mephisto!' you thought to yourself as you stormed in his office. Just as you gulped in air, preparing to scream in his face for tricking you like that, you stopped.

He wasn't here.

"Where the hell did that bastard go?" you growled and glared around the office to finding nothing but emptiness to fuel your agitation.

You stormed back out of the office, the door slamming behind you and stomped to your dorm quarters. You had searched his quarters, the Cram class rooms- even that fucking regular school! You found no trace of him and whomever you asked hadn't either.

"Damn him...Fucking tricking me and then running off...I hope he's fucking proud of himself." you grumbled as you kicked off your shoes- swinging open your bedroom door and stuffing them under your desk. You turned quickly to throw you bag on your bed- but instead of landing with a soft thunk- it instead landed on a paper carefully laid on your bed.

You pushed your bag off the paper and picked it up. Sure enough, even from a distance you knew what it was.

_**Your homework.**_

"You've really disappointed me, (Name), I hope you know that." a very familiar voice sighed from behind you and you turned quickly on your heel to come face to snout with the very same terrier you'd been chasing earlier.

"Mephisto! What the hell is your problem-"

"I don't understand why you're using such foul language and yelling at _me_..You're the one who was going to tell Rin about our little secret." he sighed and with a puff a smoke he was transformed back into his regular form- white jester suit and all. The only thing missing was the smirk and amused look he usually wore- now he looked strained, a little tired and actually disappointed.

You refused to let yourself feel guilty about it.

"You don't know that! You didn't even let me finish what I was gonna' say to him!"

His eyes met yours with a knowing look- but as previously stated, it was not a positive one. Instead, he seemed a little more angry at you. "Yes, I do. He was talking to you about _his_ father. The only thing you could tell him that would even be remotely related to that subject is about me- and I had forbidden you to do such a thing. Are you really trying to betray me and sever my trust in you, (Name)? I expected better from you..."

"_What fucking trust?_" you growled, your hands balling into fists as you took a step forward. "You call _this_ trust? You call trying to find common ground with someone else _betraying you_? You didn't even tell me there were others like me! Not to mention you had to rely on tricks to eavesdrop on my conversations with my new friend because you didn't trust me! Isn't telling your daughter you can turn into a small dog something you could trust her with? Or how about telling her she's not the only one who's half demon? Apparently not! You don't even know what I was going to say to Rin and you jumped the gun because you didn't _trust_ me, Mephisto!" you hissed and your eyes lowered to slits as you talked- while Mephisto hadn't changed his facial expression once. Not even a flash of remorse.

'_Stupid jester! You really piss me off!_' you thought to yourself.

"Just-Just leave me alone! Go do some of that 'important business' you're always going on about!" you huffed and slammed the paper onto your desk, turning away from Mephisto.

He made no effort to leave though and instead you heard him step towards you, pulling out your chair and sitting himself in it as you stood.

"I shall go no where unless I wish to, not to mention you haven't received your punishment yet." he sighed tilting his head to the side as you turned quickly, your body burning with the heat of rage.

"Punishment? For what? I did nothing wrong!" you snapped and glowered down at him.

His expression didn't change, his eyes were still bleak and briefly annoyed, the typically vibrant green now dull with dissatisfaction. He crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his chin in thought, staring at the ceiling as if he were contemplating.

"I could ground you and keep you in your room, forcing you away from your peers- but that seems a little harsh, doesn't it?" he sighed and tilted his head to the other side now while you boiled with silent rage. "Hmmm, I've got it! After school you'll be at my side and accompany me with my work. You'll sit with me in my office and dine with me, after which you will then return to your room for sleep...Only I may relieve you of this punishment and it should commence for...Three weeks."

"Three weeks? That's ridiculous!"

"Four." he stated and for a minute, the flash of amusement and smirk was on his face, the shadows darkening. You had a feeling he was daring you to argue further and that he liked upsetting you like this- waving this punishment over your head.

Instead, you stayed quiet, biting your tongue.

"Its settled then. Your punishment starts tomorrow after you're done with your classes- oh, and I'd bring some things to do, the work I have to do often requires my full attention- and I don't need you to be bothering me while I'm working. You'll need to be quiet and busy yourself...Perhaps it'll give you time to think on exactly how you came dangerously close to spilling the secret- and even then you might learn to value the promises you make to others. Well then, I'll bid you adieu. Toodles~! "

With that he stood and slid the chair back in its place, smirk and amused look back on his face as he brushed by you. You cast one last glare as he waltzed out of your room and you could have sworn he let out a chuckle.

With internal screams unable to be held back, you threw yourself on your bed angrily and stuffed your face in your pillow.

It was going to be a very difficult month...One month, spent by the side of Mephisto.

'_Are you sure I can't go where you are, mom?_' you thought and sighed as you closed your eyes and hoped to wake up from this nightmare.


	3. C3: One Step at a Time

**Chapter 3: "One step at a Time"**

_**A Few Days Later:**_

The hallways were quite after school. Typically they'd be buzzing with the noise of the class rooms- but this was after school and no classes were running anymore. There was a student here or there scampering about, but as you made your way to Mephisto's office, the activity dwindled down.

And now that you were in his office...

_Silence._

You squirmed in your seat as you fiddled with your sketch book and kneaded your eraser in your hands. There was something missing in the picture but you couldn't put your finger on it. A scowl painted on your face as you glared at the half finished drawing and you almost let a big sigh slip out of your lips- but stopped yourself just in time. Without knowing what you were doing- and focusing on his own work- Mephisto surely would have pegged the sigh off as an attempt to annoy him. He would have been wrong but seeing where you were now you already knew he wouldn't listen to you.

You silently set your sketch book to the side and instead picked up one of the mangas Mephisto had on a bookshelf nearby. He'd told you they were his private collection and you were allowed to read them if you so wished- but at first you hadn't even spared a glance at them. Now that you'd spent almost two weeks in his damned office, they held more interest than before.

You had to admit, they weren't that bad. Actually...You dared say they were enjoyable- but you'd never admit it to Mephisto.

"Dear (Name), have you given up on your drawing already?"

Speak of the devil...

You raised your head and glanced Mephisto's way, curiosity and caution swirling in your (e/c) eyes. "For the moment...Why?"

"Does one honestly need a reason to ask his daughter about her drawings?" he asked and raised a thin purple eyebrow in curiosity, but the mischievous gleam in his eye told you he had a reason.

"Only if that 'one' is you. You always have a reason." you shrugged and eyed your sketchbook.

"How observant. I suppose in this case you're correct." he sighed and rested his bearded chin on his folded hands, his eyes locked on you as he spoke. His voice wasn't cocky or confident like it usually was and instead you found it was void of his usual tone- his voice was softer as he spoke. "I only wanted to ask a favor of you...I notice you draw quite often and you have an certain finesse for it. Its not a skill many have and I must admit that seeing you work with such a talent is admirable...Perhaps you wouldn't mind teaching me some tips of the trade sometime?" he asked gently and you froze, nearly dropping the manga in your hands.

"You want..You want me to teach you to draw?" you asked with a stunned voice.

"Well, only if you so wished and if I move my schedule around to set some time away for it..It doesn't have to be a big event, just a few tips from an experienced teacher to a simple student." Mephisto shrugged and leaned back in his chair. He picked up a paper and begun to read it, tapping a pen to his chin as he did so.

"I...Sure. I'll teach you...Its not that hard."

"Really?" Mephisto glanced up, his usual look of amusement having returned, "Fantastic~! I'll be sure to set aside some time to be taught...But for now, lets go see what we have for dinner, hm?"

Mephisto stood and you followed suit, trailing after him. He hummed softly as the two of you walked and even whistled for a little portion of the journey, twirling his umbrella on his finger as you made your way down the hall.

"Now then, come along, (Name)." He sang and unlocked two big double doors to reveal a huge room filled with paintings and velvet curtains. The chandelier glistened with golden flames and hung above a small table big enough for two people.

Immediately you were too stunned to move but as Mephisto waltzed forth and pulled out one chair, glancing towards you, you snapped out of your shock and took the seat.

"T-Thank you.." you muttered and twisted to look around the room, "This is...A pretty big room for just one small table..."

"Well, it is better fitted for a grand table for dining parties, but I had it rearranged so it would be more suitable for just the two of us." Mephisto smiled and sat across from you as you waited, "My dear, what is it you wish to eat? I can have anything your heart desires made up in the best of time." he smiled and with the flicker of anticipation in his eyes, he leaned forward.

You scrambled to think of something appeasing to eat- but struggled to focus on your preferences from being put on the spot like you were. "U-Uh, I'll...I want...Pancakes."

"Pancakes?" Mephisto asked and his eyes widened as he repeated your request. "Anything you can imagine and you ask for pancakes?" There was no denying the shock in his voice and from the looks of it, you'd really caught him off guard.

You nodded sheepishly and groped the air to catch the words running rampant through your head. "I..Mom, used to always...Make the best." you looked down at your hands and fell silent, realizing what you had said and to whom. A flash flood of worry swept you in its grasp as you panicked. Had you really just said that? What would Mephisto think? Your eyes nearly bugged out of your head with the shock you'd brought upon yourself but it soon faded into an emptiness.

Tears threatened to march down your cheeks at the thought of your mother but you fought the feeling from bubbling over. Emptiness enveloped you in its chains and the sinking feeling you'd been fighting off started to drag you further down into its embrace.

_**No**_. You wouldn't cry here. Not now. Not in front of Mephisto.

"Very well then.." Mephisto said softly and turned to a tiny demon to give the order. When he was finished, he turned back to you and snapped his fingers.

Following the action, his top hat, jacket and umbrella floated over to a coat rack near the doors and a tea cart appeared beside the table. It was filled with all different types of teas and some snacks but you didn't spare it a second glance. Instead you forced yourself to remain calm and push away the sadness you felt ripping at your bones. You tried to imagine flying, tried to imagine being miles up and away from your body but the chains of depression held you down tightly. It was as if they were slowly pulling you into the ground, digging you a grave with the sharp pointed thoughts of longing and loss you constantly felt.

It took you a minute but eventually you collected yourself and glanced back up at Mephisto just in time to meet his eyes. There was mild amusement in his eyes, but it wasn't as fiery as usual. Instead it shared the stage of his green eyes with an emotion you couldn't read- but it was soft and calculating, almost lethargic in a way.

Upon meeting your gaze, Mephisto leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. His virescent pupils studying you with a great deal of curiosity. You fidgeted under his gaze and eventually looked away, unable to contain the blush on your face.

"You loose something over here?" you asked sarcastically and threw a playful glare his way.

His eyelids lowered onto his glistening eyes and his smirk returned, the flame of amusement once again taking the stage of his glass garden eyes. He leaned forward again, his chin resting on his intertwined hands patiently and he gave a short, hardy laugh. "Always full of surprises, (Name). Never a dull moment...How has school been going? And your exorcist training?" he asked, his voice oddly thoughtful.

"School's been fine. My training is the same as always, nothing new to report." you shrugged and unfolded your napkin into your lap, smoothing it across your legs.

"Have you decided what Meister category you wish to go into yet?" Mephisto reached for a cup of tea, gently stirring in some sugar as he spoke.

"Well...I have thought about it but I'm still not sure whats the best fit...I don't really think I fit in with any of the categories..."

"You'll find your path soon enough, worrying will only cause you unneeded stress."

You nodded and thought for a moment...What category were you going to go into? You knew you could have a Meister rank in each of the five categories- but which one would be your main?

You could wait until the taming trials to try your hand at a being a Tamer. That wouldn't be so bad- and there weren't many exorcists who could tame demons these days!

And being a Doctor would certainly help in some fields- the fatal wounds of demons were nothing light and knowing what to do to help those hurt would be an extra bonus...

You didn't know scripture very well so Aria was out of the question...

Guns weren't your thing either, so being a Dragoon wouldn't really help anyone much..And you didn't have a sword like Rin to fight demons with- so being a Knight would only prove to be more useless...

But you could learn to use a sword or a gun, at least. So if you failed in being a Tamer and couldn't get the proper antidotes down, you had something to fall back on...You didn't really enjoy the though of being an Aria, though..It could be helpful but you didn't really see yourself doing that kind of thing.

"Definitely not an Aria though..." you mumbled and Mephisto glanced up, smirking over his cup as he focused his eyes on you.

"I didn't ever satiate the though of you ever pursuing that path." he chuckled and for a minute, you let yourself smile back at him.

"Neither did I."

* * *

**A Few Days Later:**

"What about this?" Mephisto asked, holding up the paper he was drawing on to show you his work.

"...You're hopeless." you deadpanned and frowned.

"How cruel!" his face grew tight and his eyebrow twitched in annoyance as you sighed. You lifted your own drawing and started at it for a minute, tapping your pencil on your cheek in thought. It was alright, nothing too special. Just a little doodle of Mephisto in his terrier form.

"Well, its obvious you don't have the skill- but you can have this one if you want." you mumbled and offered him the drawing.

He glanced at you shortly before taking the paper and studying it. A smile cracked across his face and his gaze flicked up to yours with a wicked radiance. "You haven't even scratched the surface of how utterly adorable I am in that form."

"Hey, I'm not the one who drew a lake that looked like a firetruck, buddy." you giggled and Mephisto's eyebrow started twitching again.

"It was a landscape from Gehenna!"

"Sure it was."

"You just aren't fond of the more abstract kinds of art-" he started but as a knock at the door sounded he stopped. "Pardon me..."

He stood and walked over to his desk, sitting down in his chair. "Come in."

"Sir Pheles, quickly! There's a demon attacking one of the dorms!" A teacher stormed in, rigid with adrenaline.

"A what? How did it get through the wards?" Mephisto asked and stood up, brows furrowing in confusion.

"We're not sure, but there are some students who locked themselves in one of the bathrooms to try and escape it. We've got exorcists already on the case but we fear there may still be some demons lurking about the building."

"Right then, lets go. (Name) stay here-" Mephisto started toward the door but you yanked him back an inch, tugging on his wrist.

"You said I had to stay 'by your side'! Besides, this will give me the chance to see the different Meister categories in action!" you argued and Mephisto's face flashed with anger before he sighed and shooed you in front of him, impatience written on his face.

"Fine, but stay by my side and don't wander off. This could be dangerous for an exwire like yourself."

You nodded and followed after Mephisto and the teacher, a little bit excited about seeing exorcists in action- you'd seen class examples before, but nothing as serious and raw as this!

The air was heavy with a tangible negativity as you approached the door. Teachers and some exorcist students were clumped up in tiny groups before the building, but most of them raised their heads as Mephisto walked towards them.

"Sir Pheles-" Yukio started but his eyes fell on you for a moment, confusion swirling in his deep teal pools. It passed as he focused back on the matter at hand- but his curiosity was already detected.

You couldn't really blame him...Mephisto was never accompanied by any student and certainly not when arriving to a scene like this. You wondered what story Mephisto would spin for him and others later on- or if he even realized it was odd to have you by his side. Without knowing the connection between you two it would seem out of place in the eyes of others. And you could tell most of them had taken note of it, their curious glances were hard to miss.

Ignoring everyone else for a minute, you looked up at the dorm building. It had taken on a sickly purple and gray glow, you could see the outline of an almost invisible smoke, shimmering over the bricks. A deep voice echoed in the sounds of fire and a cackle disguised itself in the crackle of fire.

"This..."

"We have reports on it..It seems to be just a few ghouls running about- but there are at least two middle classed ones that we've seen- we're not sure if there are any else."

"Have you already sent others inside?"

"Yes, they're clearing it out as we speak." Yukio turned to the building and frowned as mist poured out of one of the open windows. "Ah, it seems they found one."

Following after the mist, a blur of movement jumped from the window- surrounded by clumps of coal tars. It shifted into a figure- one moving too fast for you to recognize- and landed just before a group of exorcists, a booming roar erupting from the beast just as it landed.

Exorcists immediately jumped into action, weapons being drawn and tamed demons being summoned as the Aria's begun reciting scripture- and none of them even flinched when more demons spewed from the windows. The demons rained down with the the glass, shattering the barely visible screen around the dorm as they leaped toward the concrete street.

"What? There weren't that many before!" Yukio exclaimed and drew his guns out, jumping into the action.

"Hmmm..." Mephisto's features grew darker, the shadows on his face intensifying as he watched on. You could have sworn his eyes took on a tint of red- but as you tried to justify such thoughts, a demon came barreling toward the three of you.

"Get back!" you heard someone yell but you froze in place, eyes locked on the misshapen demon leaping toward you. It oozed an acidic liquid and the ground hissed in protest as it absorbed the impact of the demonic secretion.

"(Name)! Move-" someone yelled again.

The demons paw shaped legs pounded and shook the earth it grazed. With each slap of its feet on pavement your heart pounded, silencing as its feet raised from the ground. Your brain tried to force your body to move, tried to make its waves will you to shift your position- but the fight was faulty. Fear silenced the voice in your head and bound you to the ground, locking you in your soon to be grave.

"(Name)-" another voice called- but it was too late to move, too late to be saved.

With a snap the demon plucked you from the ground as it would a flower between concrete slabs. Air tore at your skin and the sense of gravity left you as the demon carried you away. The light of the dorm and street faded away as you were carried through the dark sky. The stars flew past your eyes, trying their best to lift you away from the beast- but the secreting acid that burned your skin warded away their intended help.

Your skin felt like a layer of ice as you were thrown out of the demons hands, the air whipping around your body like tiny needles. Your body smacked against a tree and your head smashed against the bark. A metallic taste filled your mouth and air filled your head, feather light thoughts drifting out through a crack you were almost positive had just separated your skull.

You forced yourself to look up at the demon only a few feet away, its jowls slipping off at the edges as it growled.

This was some type of Ghoul, right...? It must be decaying...

You fought the migraine that had begun to pound in your aching body and you forced yourself to stand, falling here and there and shaking as you did so. You gripped at a low branch to support yourself, eying the demon with a great deal of fear- and anger. What did this demon want with you? Out of everyone there, why you?

"What the hell do you...Want with me?" you hissed and the demon growled in response, its sulfurous saliva dripping as it started to slowly walk towards you, its body tense.

A malicious sense overcame you and you couldn't help but growl back, glaring at the demon as it leaped toward you. Its body made contact with yours and you were thrown back once more- your back scratching against the abrasive bark of the tree as you were pushed away from it. Your head slammed into the earth as you fell back and you winced in pain, hissing in protest to your body's newly made injuries. One eye was forced to open as the demon loomed over you, its paws pressed against your shoulders, crushing your collar bone at its ends and making it almost impossible to move.

Its decaying face leaned towards yours and the acidic spit dribbled dangerously close to your head. The ground it touch decayed quickly and you heard the sizzle of poison seep into the grass. You glared up and lifted your other eyelid, meeting the demons beady gaze with your own ice cold glare.

"RrrrAggg!" the demon howled and its head flung back before it threw it back down, aiming for you.

"Go to hell!" you screamed and tried to fling your hands in front of you, a forced muscle memory reaction in times like this. They landed on the legs of the demon, however, and its sticky skin was rotted to the bone. Your head turned to the side and your eyes squeezed shut as you braced for the snap of teeth around your skull- but it never came.

Confused and bewildered, you snapped your head forward to find the demon frozen in place- and none the happy about it. You squirmed out if its reach and rolled away from it quickly- just in time enough for its bite to eat the air your body had occupied mere seconds earlier. The pounding of your heart reminded you that you were alive and shock awoke the adrenaline in your veins, unlocking your limbs from the pain and fear just enough for you to move them. You jumped out of the demons next lunge and gasped in anticipation. Sure, you'd had adrenaline highs before where things got slower- but that demon had stopped! His mouth was just about to feast on your brains and it had ceased all movement, like it was stuck- Or frozen! There was no way adrenaline could ever do such a thing- no matter how much adrenaline was being pushed through your veins!

"(Name), watch out!" Someone called and you turned to see Yukio and some other exorcists rushing around you. With your attention on the others, you had taken your eyes off the demon- and you heard it leap towards you, the sound amplified. The brush of its feet on the brash, like metal grinding on metal, unpleasant and humorously demonic in nature. Your (e/c) eyes flicked to where it had pounced and was sailing in midair, once again time having slowed down due to the adrenaline you had pumping under your skin, but rolled away once more as guns shot off, bullet flying toward the demon. You hit the ground a little harder than intended, accidentally pounding your head the wrong way against the dirt and making your teeth chatter as your jaw slammed shut.

With a howl and scream the demon dissipated, burning away from this world, vanishing from thin air. A shaky breath you hadn't known you needed was drawn from your lips and you closed your eyes, thanking whomever was responsible for getting the others there when they had. Your body slumped in the release of the tension you had held, its movements more sore and natural, coming down from the adrenaline rush you'd received prior to the death of the demon.

"Are you alright?" Yukio called and you opened your eyes to see him leaning over you, scanning you for any immediate injuries.

"Yeah...Just a few minor injuries...Nothing more than a few scratches- I hope." you sighed and took the hand he offered you to help you stand. "I'm glad you got here when you did...I'm not sure what would have happened..."

The frown on your face was heavy and now that you'd realized what happened, you felt embarrassed. You'd just come face to face with a demon and were frozen in place...You hadn't even really tried to defend yourself! Your mind had gone blank and everything you learned had been thrown out the window..

You could have died...

"Come on, lets get you checked out and then we'll ask about what happened..." you didn't pay attention to who was talking now, your head hurt too much for you to focus, and let them lead you wherever.

Disappointed in yourself at your own stupidity, you barely payed attention to what anyone was saying now and instead tried to focus on what happened. The demon...It had stopped, you were sure of it...

* * *

"And follow the light..." the doctor instructed and you obeyed, following the light he flashed in your eyes. "Hmm, well, it seems you've suffered a minor concussion..Its nothing major however, by the looks of it. Some rest will do you good."

"Thanks.." you muttered and looked back at your hands as the man turned away from you. You hadn't paid much attention to who it was..but now that you think about it..

You glanced up, feeling dizzy and slow as you did so, to find none other than Yukio having nursed you, his face intent and serious as he put his tools away. Oh, that's right. He was the one who led you to your room and patched you up.

"Yukio...Yukio." you called, forcing yourself to focus on what happened. You had to tell someone, you had to tell them so you could remember later..

"Hm?"

"The demon, Yukio...It stopped. Not by itself...like it was frozen. It..It stopped, Yukio..."

"Wow, that concussion might be worse than I thought..You need to get some sleep, (Name)...You should be alright to sleep here, I brought you to your room but its best not to be moved with a concussion and focusing will be hard for at least a few hours. School will have to wait a day or so as well, just to make sure you're fully healed and healthy before your return."

"But Yukio-" you reached out for him, the importance fading. You _had_ to tell him, why wasn't he listening? "It was stopped!"

"We can talk more about it later- there no use in trying to information with your brain still rattled...Don't worry, alright? Once you're feeling better-"

"No, you don't understand-" you sighed, but it was already a mute point. Your focus was fading and he knew it just as well as you did.

"Look, I promise I'll listen and help you work through it tomorrow...But for now you need sleep. You're no good to tell your story if you can't even focus on it...So rest."

"...You're right..." you nodded and laid back down, pulling the blankets around you. "Sleep is good..."

"Goodnight, (Name)..." you heard Yukio chuckle before you drifted away from reality and into sleep.

* * *

**_AN: Wow, I just realized I haven't been doing any authors note for this story. Oops. Ah, well, better late than never, yeah? _**

**_Anyways, I'm Viri (ViridescentCrow- Viri for short!) and I'm really glad that you all are enjoying the story thus far! This is my first time writing for Ao No/Blue Exorcist so I apologize in advance for any OOC characters, I am learning so please bare with me!_**

**_Thank you all for taking your time to read this story and for writing your wonderful reviews! I hope this story will further offer you entertainment and enjoyment. ^u^_**

**_As always, have a wonderful day/night!_**

**_Viri_**


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